Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-09-29
DAILY HERALD.
A MEMORABLE DUEL.
How G. +. LippencOtt Killed
Robert TeVfa.


How G. +. Lippencott Killed
Robert Tevis.
The recent death Of General Charles
E. Lippincott in Springfield, ILL.,, re-
calls to the minds of all old Cali
fornians his memorable duel with
Robert Tevis, brother of Lloyd Tevis,
near Downieville, in Sierra County, in
1856, which resulted in the death OF
Tevis, who was shot through the
heart. From the description of an
eyewitness of the affair the following
account OF the fight is obtained:
Some time in 1855 Miss Sarah Pei
let, temperance lecturer, went to
Downieville to carry on her work OF
reform, and while there established a
f1ourishing division of the Sons Of
Temperance. Shortly afterward the
inhabitants of Downieville made
preparations for Fourth of July cele.
bration, and Miss Pellet was nomi-
mated to make the grafton. Notwith-
standing the strong prejudice against
her on account of her sex, the vigor-
GUS fight made by her friends
gained her the victory. Tevis,
who had joined the temperance di-
vision short time before that, and
was candidate for Congress, was
also desirous of delivering the Grafton,
so that he might have an opportunity
of presenting himself in favorable
light before the public. He felt the
disappointment of his defeat for the
honor by Miss Pellet most keenly, and
in fact never forgot it. As he was
persistent. however, in his demands
for hearing, he was chosen to read
the Declaration of Independence, with
such comments as he might choose
to make upon the document and the
result Of its adoption.
Mr.. Tevis, having read the Declara-
ton, commenced the delivery of a
dong speech upon it, much to the dis
comfiture of the Sons of Temperance,
who were anxious to hear the voice of
their female champion. AS Mr.. Tevis
went on with his speech, efforts were
made to choke him off, but they were
unsuccessful. Finally the collected
anvils were set laundering with such
a terrific noise that the speakers voice
was drowned and he was compelled to
sit down. The affair was the talk OF
the vicinity for some time, and instead
of bringing fame to Mr.. Tevis, brought
him unpopularity.
For the publication of an account of
the celebration the Democrats had Sc
cured the columns of the local paper,
and Hon. Charles E. Lippincott, State
Senator from Yuba county, was to do
the writing. In his account Lippin-
colt, who had a keen appreciation of
the ludicrous part of the affair, pro-
ceeded to expose Tevis, who was a
Know Nothing, to ridicule, causing a
great deal of amusement at the ex-
pense of the orator.
The next day Tevis, wild with rage
at the insult, went to the office of the
paper and demanded the publication
of a card denouncing the author OF
Lippincott's article as "a liar and a
The editor, knowing Lip
pincott's nature and his skill with fire.
arms, tried to dissuade Tevis from his
dangerous purpose but he was not to
DE dissuaded. He fully appreciated
the probable results of the publication
Of the card, and said he wanted to
fight. He would fight in the street OF
anywhere else, and if the card was not
published he would consider it an act
Of hostility to himself.
The card was published, and the
result was as had been anticipated
Lippincott promptly challenged Tevis,
and the challenge was just as promptly
accepted. The affair then took a po-
litical shape, the combatants being
considered as representing the Demo
Gratis and Know-Nothings, although
some Democrats tried to prevent the
meeting. As both the men were Odd
Fellows, although they did not belong
to the local lodge, that lodge held a
meeting, which lasted late into the
night, trying to devise some means to
prevent one brother from killing the
other. Several times it was supposed
that the difficulty had been settled,
but all was of no avail, for some chiv-
alric friend of either party would be
sure to bring matters to an issue again.
Finally, the fatal day arrived, and
even upon that day, the last young
Tevis ever passed on earth, it was re-
ported that the meeting would moi
take place, as an amicable arrange
ment had been made. 1t was under
stood that the fight would take place
that afternoon.
The principals, meanwhile, armed
with double-barreled shot-guns, carry
ing ounce balls, had gone to the
woods to practice shooting at mark
so that the affair might be neatly anc
quickly ended. The first duelins
ground selected was about five miles
from Downieville, on plateau
near the top of the high
Sierra hills. The preliminary ar.
rangements had all been made
and the belligerents were about to
take position, when the Sheriff and
his posse were seen rapidly approach
ing over an adjoining range. This ne
cessitated slight postponement Of
the duel until the principals and their
party moved across the line into an
adjoining comfy, where another green
sward was selected on which to spill
blood. The distance was forty yards,
and during their practice in the woods
that day each principal had broken a
bottle at that distance at the word.
Lippincott, the challenger, is describ-
ed as having been a low, heavy-set
man. with light hair, piercing black
eyes, deliberate and resolute in his
speech, and with that peculiar
physical structure indicating
steadiness and self-posses-
sion. He was the son of an
Illinois clergyman, and was exem-
plary in his habits. except SO far as
the ordinary drinking of the day went.
He was highly cultivated, and a good,
humorous and sentimental writer. He
declared that he did not want to kill
Tevis, to whom he had never spoken,
and did not want to fight if it could be
avoided. The nature of the insult and
the customs of the time, however, de-
manded that he should appear on the